diff --git a/synapse/storage/_base.py b/synapse/storage/_base.py
index 0260b4e645..a6f94de01e 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/_base.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/_base.py
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
             txn.execute(sql, allvalues.values())
 
     def _simple_select_one(self, table, keyvalues, retcols,
-                           allow_none=False):
+                           allow_none=False, desc="_simple_select_one"):
         """Executes a SELECT query on the named table, which is expected to
         return a single row, returning a single column from it.
 
@@ -411,8 +411,10 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
             allow_none : If true, return None instead of failing if the SELECT
               statement returns no rows
         """
-        return self._simple_selectupdate_one(
-            table, keyvalues, retcols=retcols, allow_none=allow_none
+        return self.runInteraction(
+            desc,
+            self._simple_select_one_txn,
+            table, keyvalues, retcols, allow_none,
         )
 
     def _simple_select_one_onecol(self, table, keyvalues, retcol,
@@ -523,7 +525,7 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
         return self.cursor_to_dict(txn)
 
     def _simple_update_one(self, table, keyvalues, updatevalues,
-                           retcols=None):
+                           desc="_simple_update_one"):
         """Executes an UPDATE query on the named table, setting new values for
         columns in a row matching the key values.
 
@@ -541,51 +543,70 @@ class SQLBaseStore(object):
         get-and-set.  This can be used to implement compare-and-set by putting
         the update column in the 'keyvalues' dict as well.
         """
-        return self._simple_selectupdate_one(table, keyvalues, updatevalues,
-                                             retcols=retcols)
+        return self.runInteraction(
+            desc,
+            self._simple_update_one_txn,
+            table, keyvalues, updatevalues,
+        )
+
+    def _simple_update_one_txn(self, txn, table, keyvalues, updatevalues):
+        update_sql = "UPDATE %s SET %s WHERE %s" % (
+            table,
+            ", ".join("%s = ?" % (k,) for k in updatevalues),
+            " AND ".join("%s = ?" % (k,) for k in keyvalues)
+        )
+
+        txn.execute(
+            update_sql,
+            updatevalues.values() + keyvalues.values()
+        )
+
+        if txn.rowcount == 0:
+            raise StoreError(404, "No row found")
+        if txn.rowcount > 1:
+            raise StoreError(500, "More than one row matched")
+
+    def _simple_select_one_txn(self, txn, table, keyvalues, retcols,
+                           allow_none=False):
+        select_sql = "SELECT %s FROM %s WHERE %s ORDER BY rowid asc" % (
+            ", ".join(retcols),
+            table,
+            " AND ".join("%s = ?" % (k) for k in keyvalues)
+        )
+
+        txn.execute(select_sql, keyvalues.values())
+
+        row = txn.fetchone()
+        if not row:
+            if allow_none:
+                return None
+            raise StoreError(404, "No row found")
+        if txn.rowcount > 1:
+            raise StoreError(500, "More than one row matched")
+
+        return dict(zip(retcols, row))
 
     def _simple_selectupdate_one(self, table, keyvalues, updatevalues=None,
                                  retcols=None, allow_none=False):
         """ Combined SELECT then UPDATE."""
-        if retcols:
-            select_sql = "SELECT %s FROM %s WHERE %s ORDER BY rowid asc" % (
-                ", ".join(retcols),
-                table,
-                " AND ".join("%s = ?" % (k) for k in keyvalues)
-            )
-
-        if updatevalues:
-            update_sql = "UPDATE %s SET %s WHERE %s" % (
-                table,
-                ", ".join("%s = ?" % (k,) for k in updatevalues),
-                " AND ".join("%s = ?" % (k,) for k in keyvalues)
-            )
-
         def func(txn):
             ret = None
             if retcols:
-                txn.execute(select_sql, keyvalues.values())
-
-                row = txn.fetchone()
-                if not row:
-                    if allow_none:
-                        return None
-                    raise StoreError(404, "No row found")
-                if txn.rowcount > 1:
-                    raise StoreError(500, "More than one row matched")
-
-                ret = dict(zip(retcols, row))
-
-            if updatevalues:
-                txn.execute(
-                    update_sql,
-                    updatevalues.values() + keyvalues.values()
+                ret = self._simple_select_one_txn(
+                    txn,
+                    table=table,
+                    keyvalues=keyvalues,
+                    retcols=retcols,
+                    allow_none=allow_none,
                 )
 
-                if txn.rowcount == 0:
-                    raise StoreError(404, "No row found")
-                if txn.rowcount > 1:
-                    raise StoreError(500, "More than one row matched")
+            if updatevalues:
+                self._simple_update_one_txn(
+                    txn,
+                    table=table,
+                    keyvalues=keyvalues,
+                    updatevalues=updatevalues,
+                )
 
             return ret
         return self.runInteraction("_simple_selectupdate_one", func)
diff --git a/synapse/storage/presence.py b/synapse/storage/presence.py
index 1dcd34723b..0084d67e5b 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/presence.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/presence.py
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ class PresenceStore(SQLBaseStore):
             updatevalues={"state": new_state["state"],
                           "status_msg": new_state["status_msg"],
                           "mtime": self._clock.time_msec()},
-            retcols=["state"],
         )
 
     def allow_presence_visible(self, observed_localpart, observer_userid):
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_base.py b/tests/storage/test_base.py
index 55fbffa7a2..7f5845cf0c 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_base.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_base.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class SQLBaseStoreTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.mock_txn.rowcount = 1
         self.mock_txn.fetchone.return_value = ("Old Value",)
 
-        ret = yield self.datastore._simple_update_one(
+        ret = yield self.datastore._simple_selectupdate_one(
                 table="tablename",
                 keyvalues={"keycol": "TheKey"},
                 updatevalues={"columname": "New Value"},
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_room.py b/tests/storage/test_room.py
index c88dd446fb..ab7625a3ca 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_room.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_room.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class RoomStoreTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
     def test_get_room(self):
-        self.assertObjectHasAttributes(
+        self.assertDictContainsSubset(
             {"room_id": self.room.to_string(),
              "creator": self.u_creator.to_string(),
              "is_public": True},